NDP 2013 @Bukit Brown
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It was Singapore’s 48th National Day and Bukit Brown’s 91st year. We sang the national anthem and recited the pledge with gusto and with pride. But when it came to observing a minute’s silence to honour the pioneers who are buried in Bukit Brown, there was a palpable sense of sadness. We remembered especially those whose graves are to be exhumed to make way for the highway..
James Tann captured this poignant moment as some 80 participants from the guided walks , stood shoulder to shoulder with the Brownies
And the celebrations continued with cake, supper and music in the air.
Brownies baked in a cake by Charlene Tan (photo Khoo Ee Hoon)
A well deserved supper organised by Andrew Lim (photo Khoo Ee Hoon)
And there was music
The brownie troubadours( L-R) Mil,Alex, Kwok Peng, Su Min (photo Khoo Ee Hoon)
Earlier, the participants had fanned out over all 5 hills on a 2 hour walk, as the Brownies shared stories from beyond the graves, of the trials and tribulations of the early pioneers. The Brownies who led the guided walks for NDP2013 :Many Stories, One Singapore@Bukit Brown were, Yik Han, Fabian, Catherine, Peter, Mil, Bianca and Claire.
Brownie Yik Han (in red) surging ahead in Hill 4 (photo Catherine)
The group which covered Hills 1 and 3 led by Brownie Mil Phuah took their group photo at her grandfather’s tomb cluster (Photo Mil Phuah)
One of the first groups to arrive were the heroes who completed the full walk starting from Kranji, through the rail corridor and ended at Bukit Brown for the guided walks. — at The National Day walk for a Greener Singapore: Former Rail Corridor-Central Catchment Area-Bukit Brown Cemetery.
Participants from the Rail Corridor walk (photo Bianca Polak)
Flowers and sago seeds to remember the forgotten (photo A.J. Leow)
As Claire led a guided walk over hills 5 and 2, . A.J. Leow, a participant reflected :
Somebody has to tell the next and this generation — Who came before us….We need more storytellers to tell our history
Claire telling the story of coolie Fang Shan (photo A.J. Leow)
“Why 星汌 — when they first arrive (by sea), they see the shimmering lights — and they know it’s where the stars beckon. They have arrived in Singapore. 星汌 is our version of the Statue of Liberty, 星 加坡 seems a better choice than 新加坡. Think of 星汌 the lights of the shimmering harbor lights (stars) as they see Singapore for the first time” A.J. Leow
The Chinese characters 星汌 which means Island of Stars (A.J. Leow)
Darren Koh was moved to pen a tribute to the Brownies.
“On behalf of the how many thousands who have heard the many stories, the many histories, the many tales from the Brownies: I thank you. I thank you all for showing us a part of the warp and weft of history hidden to many of us. I thank you all for the passion that all of you have put, all that you have contributed whether by way of knowledge and research, by bush-bashing and discovery, by organisation and dissemination of information, by just being a friendly face that says hello, or just being there.
Were it not for the rise of the Brownies, the Tomb Whisperer and his brother alone would never have been able to reach out to so many.
It is said, “Cometh the hour, cometh the man.” In this instance, it was two women, and then many more – men and women who have joined in: one has gone ahead to her rest, but many still come.
All you Brownies – you earned that title. For your ceaseless search of tombs, for your ceaseless dissemination of the stories found. For the many tours you have led. For those moments when you look at greenery and cry a little wondering how, how could it be torn up – and then look into the eyes of those listening to your words about the pioneers and say “Let’s go to the next tomb..” Thank you”
From Theresa Teng: “What could be more meaningful than spending Singapore’s National Day in a place where pioneers of Singapore lay rested. A minute of silent was observed to commemorate the 4000+ tombs that will be sacrificed for a new highway, that will be build to cut right through Bukit Brown cemeteries.I’ve never been more proud of my adopted country than at this moment. Everyone united to stand for a cause. Mind you, there are plenty of foreigners in the group who cared so much about the heritage of Bukit Brown too.Hopefully, it’s still not too late for a miracle to happen. Just maybe…….”
From All Things Bukit Brown, in gratitude : Without the support and encouragement of the Heritage Singapore – Bukit Brown Community we would not have traveled so far. Thank you for walking shoulder to shoulder with us.
And last but not least, we end with a moving tribute to the 4,513 graves that will be exhumed at Bukit Brown. Matt Tan, penned the words in the Peranakan style of the pantun. Claire Leow translated with poetic license.
- “When stories are lost, the narrative is broken” (photo Victor Yue)
4,153 tempat tido akan di korek
ape yaukin di bikin
kehilangan cherita tak boleh di gantikan
4,153 in repose to be deposed
Why the urgency ?
When the stories are lost, the narrative is broken
(photo A.J.Leow)
-The End-
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